Functional & Stylish Dallas Kitchen

Smartphone pointed skyward, Monica Eastin shot for the stars—or what would turn out to be an unexpected star in her new kitchen—capturing the glimmer of Tom Dixon mirror ball pendants shining down the stairway at the Dallas flagship Neiman Marcus store.

“When I saw that photo, I knew I had been playing it too safe,” designer Morgan Farrow says. “The lights were so modern, and I hadn’t been going there. But then I saw they would bring in a little sparkle, a touch of feminine glam to Monica’s kitchen.”

Farrow started out with the goal of creating a kitchen functional enough for a Dallas couple with three young kids and stylish enough for serious entertaining. “I was thinking rustic Mediterranean meets contemporary, with a fresh palette,” she says. “Monica’s previous kitchen was very Tuscan, and I knew she wanted the opposite of that—light and bright.”

Farrow brought in the bright with white walls and custom cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s “Seapearl” with a lacquer finish. That creamy white continues on the waterfall island top, backsplash, and perimeter countertops, which look like elegant Calacatta marble but are actually Neolith, a compressed natural stone surface that shrugs off pretty much everything, even bleach and scrubby pads.

A smart floor plan moves traffic to the adjacent family room as it also establishes distinct zones in the kitchen. A galley-style work area includes the range, ovens, and main sink. On the opposite side of the room, a breakfast area is serviced by a second sink and dishwasher. A cold-storage wall made beautiful by blue, furniture-style cabinets bridges the two spaces and keeps beverages handy for anyone at the island.

“The kids like to sit there and do their homework or have a snack,” Monica says, “so it’s really convenient.”

A second blue “tower” near the showpiece range keeps necessities at hand.

Cabinets built into the island hold her baking pans, panini press, and party supplies. Other cabinets boast pullout drawers with pegs that keep essentials in place and at hand. “I’m never digging in the back of a cabinet,” Monica says. Built-in electrical outlets mean the toaster and coffeemaker can stay in their home cabinets rather than take up counter space. There are even built-in bins for trash and recyclables.

“I have to be organized for my brain to work,” Monica says. “I love how everything in this kitchen is thought-out. That makes it work perfectly for the way we live.”

An RH table extends to seat 12. More of the leather chairs can be easily pulled in—they’re also used in the study.